Vape' smokes the competition to become Oxford Word of the Year

NBC News - Take a deep breath: Oxford Dictionaries has picked “vape” as its 2014 word of the year.

The choice reflects the growing popularity of electronic cigarettes. Increasingly you see them on the street but they also have their own "vape lounges," and are even allowed in some offices.

"Vape" can be used as both a verb or a noun. Its use more than doubled in 2014 over the previous year, according to research conducted by Oxford Dictionaries editors.

“A gap emerged in the lexicon, as a word was needed to describe this activity, and distinguish it from ‘smoking,'” Oxford said in a news release. “The word ‘vape' arose to fill this gap, and it has proliferated along with the habit.”

The word originated as an abbreviation of "vapour" or "vaporize." OxfordDictionaries.com added the definition this past August. The verb means "to inhale and exhale the vapour produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device," while the noun refers to just the device.

“Vape” beat out "bae" (a term of endearment for a romantic partner) and "budtender" (someone who serves customers in a cannabis shop) to claim the 2014 title. Others on the short list include "normcore" (a fashion trend that favors the ordinary) and "slacktivism" (taking up a political or social cause with very little involvement, like signing an online petition).